Kiribati castaways found on Pacific Namdrik Atoll after 33 days

Two Kiribati castaways have been found alive and (more or less) well on the Pacific’s Namdrik Atoll, 33 days after they went missing. The men, aged 53 and 26, were reportedly weak but otherwise surprisingly healthy given their ordeal.

The men vanished in late October. It’s not clear what happened to them, but they were located on the atoll and rescued by the US coastguard. They are expected to be taken to the captial of the nearby Marshall Islands for medical check-ups.

The Namdrik Atoll is comprised of two islands and has an area of approximately 2.8 square kilometres, with a total population of just over 800. The islands are part of the Marshall Islands, best known for being used for nuclear testing by the US in the mid 20th century.